Barn Jams

This is not what I expected to be doing when I first learned to play the guitar.  I thought I was going to write deep lyrics and play moody songs by myself at open mic nights.  I had a hollow body electric Ibanez that I wasn’t sure how to play and definitely didn’t know how to play it as it should have been.  I don’t even think I had an amp.  But, I was a teenager then and everything was moody. 

 

After learning the basics from my Dad and going off to college I started to learn that I really liked the ‘old timey’ sounding stuff.  So I traded in the electric hollow body for a D15 Mahogany body Martin acoustic.  After my first few months at Northland College I found the kind of music I liked to make, Jams.  We would sit around and take turns playing stuff we knew and could easily teach to the group.  It was loose and free and anything went. Even if you didn’t play the guitar, the fiddle, or mandolin, you could bring spoons, a jug, or a jar of buttons to use to make some noise. 

Now that I’m back in Iowa I’ve been really lucky to find a group of people that gather in much the same way.  At the Simpson Barn, in Johnston Iowa, once a month (excluding summer) a large group of us collectively play anything from bluegrass, danceable fiddle numbers, to just old country tunes.  All you need to do is call out the key and the rest of the group just jumps in.  Sometimes they flop but sometimes they explode with energy when we all realize we are making something very special.

I’ve started to play the mandolin and am pretty much lost unless the song is in the key of C, but I can still enjoy the atmosphere and chime in with some exciting harmonies when the mood strikes.  I rarely lead a song considering the only time I make time to play my instruments is at the Jams, but I still attend and contribute what I can.  Because I learned how to play the guitar first I still have to find a seat where I can see a guitarist to know what to play on my mandolin, but I’m learning.  That’s what makes it fun.  Practicing at home was never fun for me, but at these Jams I get two hours of practicing in, I see some really amazing people, eat some snacks, and get that lovely little endorphin buzz from playing music with friends.